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GM Authority

Where To Find Top Tier Fuel For Your GM Vehicle

For those discerning GM vehicle owners that want only the best for their ride, the judicious attitude shouldn’t stop with fluids, filters, and maintenance. The fuel you put into the gas tank can be just as important, as some fuel is objectively better than others. As such, General Motors recommends only using Top Tier fuel, and now, GM Authority is making it easy to find Top Tier fuel retailers (or gas stations) to frequent for those fill-ups.

For those who may be unaware, Top Tier fuel is a fuel performance standard written by the world’s major automakers, including General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda, FCA, and others. The standard is intended to maximize engine performance, improve fuel economy, and lower emissions by stipulating a higher level of fuel quality via stricter deposit control.

The automakers listed above felt as though the minimum deposit control requirements put forth by the EPA fell short of ensuring optimal engine performance. As such, in 2004, the Top Tier fuel economy standard was written for greater deposit control performance, thereby providing GM vehicle owners with assurance that the fuel they buy is of a high quality.

The Top Tier fuel designation is only given to fuels with a higher level of engine cleaning performance through the use of deposit control additives. Top Tier fuels cannot contain harmful metallic additives, and must be available across all octane levels of the associated fuel marketer’s stations.

These days, with the highly advanced engines equipped in modern GM vehicles, having the best possible fuel on board provides peace of mind that the engine will run at optimal levels of performance, returning maximum miles per gallon, lowering the environmental impact coming out the tailpipe, and of course, maximizing power when hitting the throttle. However, not all gas stations provide Top Tier fuel.

As such, GM Authority has provided a table that lists the retailers offering Top Tier fuel. Check it out below:

Top Tier Fueling Stations

Licensed Retail BrandsCountries
76USA
ARCOUSA
ARCOMexico
AlohaUSA
AmocoUSA
BPUSA
BeaconUSA
Break Time C StoresUSA
BreakawayUSA
BreakawayCanada
CITGOUSA
CenexUSA
ChevronGuatemala
ChevronHonduras
ChevronPanama
ChevronMexico
ChevronEl Salvador
ChevronCanada
ChevronUSA
ChevronColombia
Co-opCanada
ConocoUSA
Costco WholesaleUSA
Costco WholesaleCanada
Costco WholesaleMexico
CountryMarkUSA
CountryMark PLUSUSA
Diamond ShamrockUSA
EnergyMexico
EssoCanada
Express Mart (Wisconsin)USA
ExxonUSA
Fast FuelUSA
G500Mexico
HFN - Hawaii Fueling NetworkUSA
Harmons Fuel StopUSA
HeleUSA
HolidayUSA
Irving OilUSA
Irving OilCanada
Kirkland Signature GasolineUSA
Kirkland Signature GasolineMexico
Kirkland Signature GasolineCanada
Kwik StarUSA
Kwik TripUSA
MFA OilUSA
MarathonUSA
Metro PetroUSA
MobilUSA
MobilCanada
Ohana FuelsUSA
PUMAGuatemala
PUMAEl Salvador
PUMAHonduras
PUMAPanama
PUMAPuerto Rico
Phillips 66USA
Phillips 66Puerto Rico
QTUSA
QuikTripUSA
RangerUSA
Ranger FuelUSA
Ranger MustangUSA
Ranger StallionUSA
Ranger ThoroughbredUSA
ReedersUSA
Road RangerUSA
Rutter'sUSA
ShamrockUSA
ShellUSA
ShellCanada
ShellPuerto Rico
Simonson Station StoresUSA
SinclairUSA
TempoCanada
TexacoUSA
TexacoCanada
TexacoPanama
TexacoGuatemala
TexacoHonduras
TexacoEl Salvador
Tobacco Outlet Plus GroceryUSA
Ultra Top FuelPuerto Rico
ValeroUSA
Value AmericaUSA
WOWUSA
Win WinUSA
YPFArgentina

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. I’m proud to say I’ve only managed to run 3 tanks of non TT fuel in my 19 LD, in my 20,300 miles with it.

    I don’t see Sunoco on the list, yet they have signage at their pumps claiming its a TT gas. Whats up with that?

    Reply
    1. And ARCO is still on the list. I know many people who have had problems with ARCO gas.

      Reply
      1. Arco gas had questionable quality in the past, but since it was bought by Tesoro around 2013(?) and they applied for top tier designation, they increased their additive to T.T. designation.

        Reply
    2. Sunoco withdrew from the Top Tier program in 2020 due to Covid. They re-joined in 2021.

      Reply
  2. Actually there were a good number of more companies on the list before. I wonder if many just decided not to pay the fee or they or they may still be in talks.

    Reply
  3. Electricity is electricity, there’s no such thing as Top Tier electricity for my GM vehicle.

    Reply
    1. No but if they don’t fix it soon you may have to find a charging station that has the right plug.

      I am shocked the MFGs are still not working together to use one specific plug for all EV models.

      Imagine gas stations with all different nozzles?

      Are EV owners going to need dongles for their cars?

      Reply
      1. “I am shocked the MFGs are still not working together to use one specific plug for all EV models.” They did! it is the SAE J1772 standard. Only Tesla and Nissan/Renault (which uses the CHAdeMO) have their own standard. And these two outsiders made adapters so their unique EVs can charge at a SAE J1772 charger station (AC or DC). All GM and Ford EVs and PHEVs use the SAE J1772 EVSE.

        You are not well informed. are you? BTW, the SAE was who made gas nozzle standards, too.

        Reply
        1. Nissan just recently dropped the CHAdeMO Standard for all future EVs and is going with SAE.

          Reply
        2. My point is two of the three largest EV mfg is still not on the same page. Ford at this point is so far not relevant till they build more cars.

          Let’s face it GM, Tesla and Nissan are the three building the most EV cars yet only one is using the standard?

          There should be no need for adapters.

          SAE set the standards for nearly everything on the cars from the smallest screw to the nozzle. My great uncle was part of the move yo SAE in the early 1900’s. He Claire the standardization of fasteners was the greatest thing ever. That is what you would expect for a specifications engineer though.

          We saw the same disconnect in the electronic wit VHS and Beta.

          Volume of sales made the choice and rendered Beta obsolete.

          Reply
          1. This comment about VHS and Beta is so right on, although the 30 and under’s may not remember those wars between Sony and so many others. I mean, I like the idea, if I have an electric car and go on a 1,000 mile trip, of being able to pull into any charging station and simply use the same plug to recharge my as yet inefficient battery packs in m EV. Pulling out a tool kit of adaptors just diminishes the experience and wastes time.

            Reply
    2. Electricity is not electricity……actually there is a top tier equivalent………you have clean and stable power, then you have dirty power……

      Reply
    3. Don’t know why the station’s don’t promote these fuels

      Reply
      1. ARCO’s advertising does. Chevron has long had some of the best quality gasolines around; Shell is suggested by Porsche and other manufacturers who make high strung engines. Mobil Exxon was not on the list. By the way, have you seen their stock price and earning reports lately?

        Reply
        1. Check again. Exxon is listed.

          Reply
        2. In Southern California, Arco and 76 advertise Top Tier in all 3 products. Chevron and Shell advertise T.T. in Premium only. Not sure about Exxon-Mobil.
          I worked on a gasoline loading rack before I retired. Every oil company injects their branded additive at 110% of Govt. requirement. That’s to make sure they are at 100% in surprise weights and measures checks. When Top Tier was invented by G.M. I saw injection rates increased to 250% on Shell Premium (only) and Exxon Premium (only). Costco was asking for a separate set of product codes so they could apply for T.T. and then shortly after I retired, Arco went T.T. in all 3 products. That was in 2011.

          Reply
    4. Sinclair service stations you use their card you automatically save $0.10 a gallon I have been going there for the last 3 years and have been very satisfied + ten cents a gallon

      Reply
  4. This is just an incomplete story as the list is much longer at their web site.

    Also there are more fuels that may qualify but just don’t pay the fee to be on the list.

    Reply
    1. I doubt it. If you were injecting 250% of govt required additive, you sure would want the world to know. That stuff costs $$.

      Reply
  5. I’ve been using TT fuel exclusively in all my cars/trucks for years. Ironically I find that it’s not necessarily more expensive either.

    Reply
  6. PUMA is the largest top tier gasoline vendor in Puerto Rico. My closest station is less than 200 feet away (I have walked past it many times to visit my supermarket). During Hurricane Maria in 2017, we had a long power outage, and I was one of the many thousands who waited in a two hour line to refuel up to ten gallons every two days for my Onan emergency generator. When the PUMA tanker trucks arrived, they were escorted by Police and Federal agents, all armed, due to previous tankers being assaulted and stolen. We broke into applause as the tanker driver climbed out of the cabin, and began to refill the station’s underground tanks.

    They now offer a free phone app named “Fast Pay” to use the pumps and pay without going to the cashier. The app also gives rebates after a purchase. PUMA may not be the lowest costing gasoline vendor, but they are the best here.

    Reply
    1. You are not well informed are you.

      The pay by phone is quite common here on the main land. Most of us have had it for a good while now.

      Reply
  7. Funny I just use what is the lowest price gas in my area on all of my direct injected GM cars going all the way back to my 2013 Impala 3.6 with over 120K miles and have never had a single issue. In fact we removed the intake to do an intake valve cleaning and it barely needed it, with 120K miles! After cleaning the valves with the intake valve cleaner I couldn’t tell a difference from before and after!

    Reply
  8. My 2020 Silverado 5.3 was getting a check engine misfire code and the dealership recommended TT fuel so I have been nothing else since and so far it has worked.

    Reply

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